Method of making a metal element



assises these tubules it is strung out into exceedingly small streamswhich effect an hydraulic working of the molten glass to properlycondition it for obtaining the best properties in the iinished fiber.

To obtain very fine passages through the nipple in a practical mannerthe construction shown in Figure 4 is desirable. Here the passagewaythat is made up of the tine passagesis in a plug 31 that is insertedinto a bore 29 in the nipple. This Figure 4 shows a multiplicity ofglass bers gathered together into a compact bundle. The fibers are eachcoated with a metallic coating, such as a coating of goldopwlatinurrrngr the like, applied by any suitable"process'fr as,'fof'instanca by electro-deposi-i., ,Y

tion. After the coated fibers are gathered together into a compactbundle they are held together under high pressure and simultaneouslysubjected to a heating operaelectrical fieldz` The heatingoperationf'cornbined with the"presiirecxerted on the bundle, welds thecoated fibers together at their points of contact. After the weldingoperation the bundle of welded, coated fibers d is cut to the desiredlength and inserted in the bore 29 in the feeder shown in Figure 4.Subsequently when the feeder is placed in operation and heated to thetemperature required to melt glass the glass fibers in the plug 3l arefused and the resulting molten glass flows from the plug leaving aplurality of exceedingly tine tubulcs through which the molten glasspasses through the feeder.

Various modifications may be made in the present invention within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

1. The process of producing an element containing a plurality ofiinetubules comprising coating the individual surfaces of a plurality ofglass fibers with metal, assembling a plurality of the tibers coatedwith metal to form a bundle with the coated bers all extending insubstantially the same direction and substantially all in lateralcontact, converting said bundle into a unitary structure by joining themetal coatings on said bers to each other, and thereafter heating theunitary structure to soften the glass fibers and flowing the softenedglass from the coatings to leave a plurality of tubes associatedtogether in side by side parallel relation.

2. The process of making an element for a feeder for molten glass having'line pores or passages therethrough comprising welding together aplurality of glass fibers coated with metal to torni a bundle with thecoated ribers substantially all in substantial parallelism and lateralcontact, inserting said bundle as a plug in an opening through a wall osaid feeder with the fibers all ai. substantially parallel to the axisof said opening,` and thereafter melting out the glass fibers from thecoatings to leave a plurality of tubes associated together in side byside relation to subdivide said opening in said wall into smalleropenings extending in substantial parallelism through their lengths` v3. The process of making a feeder for molten glass including an elementproviding small pores or passageways, comprising coating glass fiberswith metal, assembling a plurality of coated fibers into a bundle withthe fibers in side by side relation and substantially all in parallelismand the coatings in contact, joining the contacting metal v`coatings toeach other, inserting said bundle as a plug in an opening through a wallof said feeder with the fibers ail substantially parallel to the axis ofsaid opening, and thereafter melting out the glass fibers from thecoatings to leave a plurality of tubes associated together in side byside relation to subdivide said opening in said wall into smalleropenings extending in substantial parallelism through their lengths.

4. rii`he'process of making a feeder for molten glass including anelement for feeding molten glass in fine streams comprising coatingglass fibers with a metal selected from the group consisting of gold andplatinum, assembling a plurality of coated iibers into a bundle with thecoatings on the fibers substantially all in contact and the fibers inside by side substantially parallel relation, severing said bundletransversely into shorter lengths, inserting such lengths into openingsthrough a wall of said feeder with the fibers all substantially parallelto the axis of said opening, and thereafter melting out the glass fibersfrom the coatings to leave a plurality of tubes assiated together inside by side relation to subdivide said openings in said wall each intosmaller openings extending in substantial parallelism through theirlengths.

lilelerences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,041,176 Schitzkowsky Octf15, 1912 1,821,659 McEvoy Sept. 1, 19312,297,817 Truxell Oct. 6, 1942 2,373,405 Lowit Apr. 10, 1945 2,616,165Brennan Nov. 4, 1952 2,619,438 Varian et al. Nov. 25, 1952 2,628,417Peyches Feb. 17, 1953 2,641,439 Williams June 9, 1953 2,771,667 SundernNov. 27, 1956 FRElGN PATENTS 597,711 France Iuly 2, 1920

